The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 established a Center at NBS and gave it a very detailed charter. The act contains a separate authorization for this NBS Center. The budget for the Center is formulated at NBS in consultation with the administrator of the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, and after consolidation with the budget of NFPCA is forwarded as a single document to the Congress. The center is a line item in this budget. NBS management is assured of continuity of funding and a voice. in program planning. An appropriate portion of the funds are applied to building competence in the disciplines necessary for fire research programs. The Center for Fire Research is at once relevant and able to maintain its key competencies.

Now consider the situation in the energy area. There are four pieces of legislation. In the DOE budget request for appropriations for the Federal Non-Nuclear Research and Development Act, the NBS work on energy-related inventions is a separate line item. This is not the case with the other items. For these we are reimbursed by the other agencies. But we are not explicitly written into their appropriation requests.

The breakdown for the laboratory shows we have a $1212 million program, only $0.9 million of which is directly appropriated. $1.2 million shown in my testimony for energy-related inventions is clearly earmarked for this purpose and is not flexible. The reimbursible funds from other agencies come from specific projects, generally short range in nature. Other agencies are not particularly concerned with building NBS's scientific competence over the long range. NBS management has relatively little discretion in developing the competencies necessary to support applied energy work. This lack of flexibility is a serious problem for us in a number of program areas. As a result of this the President's fiscal year 1979 budget request includes a request of Congress for funds for competence-building and for funds to augment our long-range planning efforts.

Let me now turn to our thinking about the future. One cannot have excellence in technical problem solving without excellence in science. Future selection of problem solving areas will be governed at least in part by our choices now as to which competencies are to be exercised. We propose to focus in a half-dozen areas in the National Engineering Laboratory with the first infusion of competence money in 1979. These are fluid mechanics, heat transfer, phenomena occuring in electronic devices, and substantial strengthening in our ability to work with complex systems using computers.

We chose fluid mechanics and heat transfer because we are certain we shall have programs relying on these skills in the years to come. Examples are the need to describe the behavior of fire in a room; the flow of air in buildings; and to make engineering measurements on combustion processes in various kinds of furnaces.

Basic work in electrotechnology is important, because we receive very strong demands for developing measuring techniques in the new world of large-scale integrated circuits. The stress on handling largescale problems in computers reflects our belief that the Bureau needs to improve its scientific computers very substantially.

During this calendar year we are to prepare a 5-year plan for the laboratory. From this exercise will come a rationale for management of the budgetary actions required in the years ahead.

The National Engineering Laboratory will be unique in its breadth of interest; its charter to serve many clients; its concern for engineering measurements and standards; and its ability to mount a variety of programs addressing national problems.

Thank you.

Senator STEVENSON. Thank you, sir.

[The statement follows:]

STATEMENT OF JOHN W. LYONS, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY, NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: It is a pleasure for me to appear before this Subcommittee to discuss the engineering and certain applied science programs of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). Dr. Ambler has discussed the dual role of NBS and his proposed reorganization which will place the problem solving role primarily into a new unit named the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL). I have served as head of a task force to give shape to this new entity and have spent several months thinking about the NEL, what it should be, what it should and should not do, and how it should relate to the National Measurement Laboratory (NML). I shall attempt today to set forth for you our views on these questions.

There are a number of ways to describe an organization-by its staff, its accivities or programs, or its mission as enunciated by the organization itself and by its chartering body. For NEL, it is convenient to consider (1) the scientific and engineering disciplines, (2) the programs aimed at solving specific problems and (3) the context for these as given by various Federal Laws establishing the units, stating specific missions, or assigning tasks.

The National Engineering Laboratory of the National Bureau of Standards will be a Federal laboratory which will conduct technical programs to contribute to the solution of a broad spectrum of National problems. A distinguishing characteristic will be the breadth of our activities. In terms of disciplines we will have substantial groupings in the following areas:

Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Civil Engineers, Fire Protection Engineers, Applied Physicists, Applied Chemists, Applied Mathematicians, Economists, Architects, Behavioral Scientists.

Within these groups there will be many subdivisions; for example, the mechanical engineering group will include specialists in fluid flow and heat transfer; the applied physics group will include specialists in acoustics, electricity and magnetism and aerosols, to name but a few. When one views the proposed NEL in terms of its people and their training it is natural to think of the Laboratory as a series of clusters of skills or competences. As you know we are now engaged in assessing these competences as to which are essential and which need to be strengthened. The competences will be the scientific foundation on which effective problem-solving activities will be based.

The programs of the laboratory will include development of measurements for process control in the electronics industry, studies of electromagnetic interference, standards for industrial automation and research on interactive, computercontrolled manufacturing, noise control measurements, measurements and technology for commercial operations at a very low temperature as, for example, shipping and storing liquified natural gas, measurements on combustion processes for various industrial applications, research and standards in building science and technology, development of methods of measuring consumer product performance, a wide range of fire research activities, a series of measurement and standards activities related to energy conservation, technical support to the Department of Commerce on the voluntary accreditation of testing laboratories and on the labeling of consumer products, and research into the factors affecting technical innovation in our society (the ETIP program). We will have in NEL the central NBS group working on applied mathematics and providing skills in mathematics, statistics, and numerical computations to all NBS programs which require such support.

Let me now discuss a few of the above programs as they are now, programs which are done under the general authority of the NBS organic act. Our work in electronics and electrical engineering is remarkable for its breadth and the pervasiveness of its results. NBS is expert in making measurements across the electromagnetic spectrum. In recent years the Bureau has been the referee

laboratory for measuring leaks of electromagnetic radiation from microwave ovens. There are now serious problems with measuring the effects of electromagnetic radiation on people and with electromagnetic interference (EMI) with electronically controlled devices; for example, radiation levels in the normal environment have been known to prevent operation of electronically controlled truck brakes. As the automobile industry turns to microprocessors for control of engines to achieve high efficiency in gasoline consumption and low exhaust emissions, difficulties with EMI are expected to escalate.

We are at work on improved techniques for measuring such electromagnetic radiation and for measuring the response of electronically controlled devices to such radiation. We perceive a growing demand for results in this area and are increasing our efforts accordingly.

For many years the Bureau has worked on tests and measurements for the semiconductor industry at the request of industry and other government agencies and under joint sponsorship with those agencies, principally the Department of Defense. We have developed key methods of measurement and testing for the processing and performance of semiconductor devices, procedures which have greatly improved the efficiency of production and reliability of products. These tests and procedures are used throughout the entire industry. As integrated circuits on semiconductor chips have become smaller and more complex, precision metrology has become more important on the production line. Recently our electronics experts have joined with our experts in length measurements to give the semiconductor manufacturers, and those who provide them with manufacturing and test equipment, new means of microscopic positioning of lines and patterns on semiconductor chips and ways of measuring and controlling line width in these patterns. These and related techniques will be increasingly important as the industry moves to ever more complex large-scale integrated circuits.

Because of the rapid development of automated, computer controlled machine tools, we are developing new concepts of dynamic, in-process measurement and control of part dimensions, surface finish and part integrity, and new traceability and calibration services to support that technology. In the most sophisticated of these concepts, a robot fitted with sensors is operated by a computer serving in the same control capacity as the human brain i.e., receiving sensory signals and responding with motor commands. We are working to develop the techniques, the instrumentation and the computer software to produce an economical production technique. NBS has a unique combination of skills which enable us to do this job.

We have for some years been making measurements of chemical and physical properties of liquids at very low temperatures and developing techniques for storing and transferring these materials. A recent application has been to liquified natural gas (LNG) a material shipped and stored at temperatures near -160°C (-256°F). NBS has determined ways of calculating, from simple physical measurements, the heating value of the mixtures normally used in commerce, has developed ways of metering LNG, and has assisted with matters of safety.

As a final example, NBS has undertaken in collaboration with DoE a comprehensive program of research on insulation. NBS work on thermal insulation draws on expertise across the Bureau in heat transfer, fire and electrical safety, durability, corrosion, consumer product labeling, and laboratory accreditation. NBS maintains the standard engineering test apparatus for measuring the thermal conductivity of insulation.

We are developing an improved test apparatus for use with layers of insulation up to 12 inches thick. We have developed two new fire tests in the past year. One of these defines the tendency of fire to spread over the surface of exposed insulation, for example, in attics. The other is used to evaluate the propensity of an insulation material to sustain smoldering combustion given an accidental ignition such as from a dropped cigarette in a crawl space, an electrical short in a wall, or an overheated recessed lighting fixture. We are studying the durability and corrosiveness of treatments applied to some forms of insulation. We are working with other elements of the Department of Commerce and the FTC on the best way to display all or some of this information on product labels. And finally thermal insulation is the first product category to have been selected by the Department of Commerce for voluntary accreditation of testing laboratories. Such accreditation will provide the Nation with a network of laboratories able to run the various tests required for labeling, for tax credits, and for build

ing codes. As you know, the subject of consumer equity in thermal insulation is of great concern in Government at this time; we are working very hard to find the necessary answers.

Of the legislation discussed by Dr. Ambler in his testimony, the NEL will have responsibilities under nine acts. In attachment A of this testimony there is a brief review of NBS response to each of these. At this point I should like to make a few observations of the bureau's response to the fire safety and the energy acts.

The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 established a Center at NBS and gave it a very detailed charter. The act contains a separate authorization for this NBS Center. The budget for the Center is formulated at NBS in consultation with the Administrator of the National Fire Prevenion and Control Administration (NFPCA), and after consolidation with the budget of NFPCA is forwarded as a single document to the Congress. The Administrator of NFPCA is assisted at hearings by the Director, Center for Fire Research, NBS. The Center is a line item in the budget. These funds are considered at NBS to be the same as direct appropriations since management is assured of continuity of funding and a voice in program planning. The Center has been able to develop long range plans and secure agreement for them from NBS and NFPCA management. An appropriate portion of the funds are applied to building competences in the disciplines necessary for a fire research program. By being written into the NFPCA budget by name, the Center for Fire Research is at once relevant and able to maintain its key competences.

Now consider the situation in our work on engineering measurements, test methods, and standards in the energy area. There are four pieces of legislation. (See attachment A for details.) Under the Solar Heating and Cooling Documentation Act of 1974 we are developing criteria and standards for devices and systems operating on solar energy. Under the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 we are evaluating energy-related inventions as discussed by Dr. Ambler. Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Energy Conservation and Production Act we are developing criteria and standards for energy use in buildings and building components and test methods and efficiency improvement targets for a series of home appliances.

In the DOE budget request for appropriations for the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act, the NBS work on energy-related inventions is a separate line item. This is not the case for the other items. For these we are reimbursed by the other agencies but we are not explicitly written into their appropriation requests. We apply some of our own direct appropriations to the energy area to conduct basic research and studies needed to underpin the work done under the legislation. The breakdown for NEL is:

The money for energy-related inventions is clearly earmarked for this purpose. The reimbursable funds from other agencies come for specific projects, generally short range in nature. Other agencies are not particularly concerned with building NBS's scientific competence over the long range. NBS management has relatively little discretion in developing the competences necessary to support the short term applied energy work. This lack of flexibility is a serious problem for us in a number of program area. As a result of this the President's FY 1979 budget request includes a request to Congress for funds for competence building and for funds to augment our long range planning efforts. One of the prime functions of the planning effort will be to assess our needs and priorities for longer term fundamental work.

us

Let me now turn to our thinking about the future. We take it as axiomatic that one cannot have excellence in technical problem solving without excellence in science. We have already mentioned the new budgetary approach which enables to single out important underlying disciplines or competences and request directly funds to develop and strengthen them. Future selection of problem-solving areas will be governed at least in part by our choices now as to which competences are emphasized. Our first set of choices are in connection with an increase of $1,000,000 for NEL for FY 1979. We propose to focus on a half dozen areas in the National Engineering Laboratory with this first infusion

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of money. Examples are: studies in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, the physics and chemistry of phenomena occurring in electronic devices, and substantial strengthening of our abilities to work with complex systems using computers. These decisions are based on the program areas we are likely to enter, the basic missions of the Bureau and the Laboratory, the degree to which NEL may be expected to fill a unique position, the current strength of the necessary competences, and our estimate of our ability to build an outstanding group with funds likely to be made available. We choose fluid mechanics and heat transfer because we are certain we shall have programs drawing on these skills for years to come. Examples are the need to describe the behavior of fire in a room, the flow of air in buildings, and to make engineering measurements of combustion processes in various kinds of furnaces.

Basic work in electro-technology is of interest because we see very strong demands developing for measurement techniques in the new world of very large integrated circuits. The stress on handling complex problems on computers reflects our belief that the Bureau needs to improve its scientific computing very substantially. We shall need specialists to formulate analytical models of complex phenomena, specialists to manipulate the sophisticated computer software needed to use these models, to convert results of modelling into graphical displays, to handle data reduction and optimization problems, and other difficult problems in mathematics and operations research. We also want to add to our existing base of competence in data analysis with emphasis on improved statistical techniques for use in regulatory processes.

In future years we shall want to strengthen additional areas. During this calendar year we are to prepare a five-year plan for the Laboratory. This planning process requires a searching assessment of each competence and each program area followed by a series of decisions: which areas are to be enhanced, which stay the same, which new ones are needed. From the exercise will come a rationale for management and budgetary actions required in the years ahead. The NEL will be unique in its breadth of interests, its charter to serve many clients, its concern for engineering measurements and standards, and its ability to mount a variety of programs addressing National problems. I have indicated our immediate priorities in my testimony but I want to make it clear that there are many more opportunities for us. I am very excited about this proposed new Laboratory and am pleased to have had this opportunity to tell the Subcommittee about it.

I shall be pleased to answer any questions the Subcommittee may have.

ATTACHMENT A

The parts of NBS which will make up the National Engineering Laboratory have responsibilities under the following:

Fair Packing and Labeling Act (P.L. 89-755).

Consumer Product Safety Act (P.L. 92–573).

Noise Control Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-574).

Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-409).
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-498).

Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 (P.L. 93– 577).

Energy Policy and Conservation Act (P.L. 94-163).

Energy Conservation and Production Act (P.L. 94-385).
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (P.L. 95–124).

In addition to the nine which remain in force, the NEL portion of NBS was also affected by the Flammable Fabrics Act Amendment of 1967, and the Fire Research and Safety Act of 1968. The Consumer Product Safety Act and the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act superseded there two Acts insofar as NBS is concerned.

In the paragraphs that follow, NEL's responses to those assignments are summarized.

Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (P.L. 89-755)

Under this Act the Secretary of Commerce was charged with aiding in the development of voluntary standards to reduce undue proliferation of package sizes. The Bureau has assisted in the development of voluntary product standards in some 50 major product categories such as toothpaste and powdered milk. Model laws and regulations have been developed for use by State and local agencies. An example is the model State unit pricing regulation. The NBS effort is